We were greeted with this sight this morning:
Needless to say, we were a little startled. Here are some more pictures. I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the City of Austin's response time. I called them up at 8:15am, they were here at 9, and done by 10. I was afraid I'd have to handle it and pay for it, but since it was blocking the street, the City took responsibility. I'm concerned about the tree, though; one of my neighbors claims that they are fast-growing, short-lived trees with a lifespan of around 30-40 years. My house is just about 30 years old. I looked at the break, and it appears there is an infection or at least some kind of rot at work. It's a bummer; the trees are really nice on my street.
Update: the house is fine. The branch fell away from the house.